Great White sharks are to be protected by international trade laws a global conference decided yesterday.
The Great White, Carcharodon carcharius, which can reach up to 7m in length, is widely regarded as a man-eater.
A reputation that has led to it being actively hunted for sport and for the curio trade. The jaws can sell for tens of thousands of pounds and individual teeth are worth several hundred.
The Telegraph reports that Ian Cresswell, a delegate at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Bangkok, says that the shark's reputation is undeserved.
"No other species has been so vilified and so targeted through fear", he told the paper.
"International action must be taken to curb trade in Great White shark products."
Ramon Bonfil, a shark expert from the Wildlife Conservation Society, told The Telegraph that it wasn't known how many Great Whites remained, but he estimated that there are around 10-20,000 left.
Around 500 are caught and killed accidentally in Australian waters by fisherman targetting other species says the report.